Receptacles



Jan. 30, 1968 J, L. KOTOWICK RECEPTACLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 23, 1966 IN VEN TOR.

FIG. 2

JOSEPH L. TOVIIOK ATTORNEY Jan. 30, 1968 J. L. KOTOWICK 3,366,306

REGEPTACLES Filed Feb. 23, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 6 FIG. 5

JOSEPH L. KOTOWICK ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,366,306 RECEPTACLES Joseph L. Kotowick, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada Crown Zellerbach Corp, 1 Bush St., San Francisco, Calif. 94104) Filed Feb. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 529,335 20 Claims. (Cl. 229-31) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An open-top basket having a bottom wall with side walls foldably connected thereto along its side margins. The basket further includes curved end walls which are detached from the bottom Wall, but are connected to the side walls by means of pairs of foldably connected intermediate panels. The intermediate panels are tucked inwardly against the side walls and held in place by means of side flaps which are foldably connected to the side walls and folded over against the intermediate flaps. The legs of a U-shaped handle are inserted into the cavities located between the side flaps and side walls, and bosses on the legs project outwardly through apertures in the side walls, thereby retentively securing the handle to the side walls.

This invention relates in general to receptacles and, more particularly, to open-top baskets for holding fresh fruits, vegetables, and other commodities.

Groceries, farmers, hucksters and the like have for many years found it convenient to display and deliver fresh fruits, vegetables, and other commodities in small open-top baskets ranging in siZe from six quarts to two pecks. Traditionally, such baskets were constructed from wood splints bent in the configuration of upwardly and outwardly flared walls much on the order of a conventional bushel basket, but, in recent years, baskets con structed fro-m paperboard and fiberboard have become increasingly popular. Paperboard is, of course, considerably cheaper than wood splints and lends itself more readily to fabrication into box-like iforms. Moreover, paperboard possesses cushioning properties which protect delicate commodities, has smooth surfaces free of splinters, and can easily be provided with advertising or other printed information.

However, conventional paperboard boxes of present manufacture in many instances do not possess adequate strength and further are often unduly complicated. In many instances, such baskets must be assembled at the point of manufacture which not only increases production costs but also presents shipping and storage problems of considerable magnitude. Some distributors ship such paperboard baskets to the grocer or other user in the so-called broken-down condition, but this imposes an undesirable burden on the user for he must spend valuable time fitting together the intricate interfitting components of the baskets.

The present invention resides in a receptacle which possesses a configuration similar to the traditional wood fruit baskets, that is to say, it has upwardly and outwardly flared arcuate end walls which are interconnected by substantially rectangular side walls. The invention additionally embodies a unitary blank which can easily and rapidly be transposed into a basket-like receptacle of the present design.

Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the provision of a basket which is ideally suited for marketing fresh fruits, vegetables, and other commodities; the provision of a basket of the type stated which is attractive in appearance, economical to trnanufacture, and sturdy in construction; the. provision of a 3,3663% Patented Jan. 30, 1968 basket which can be easily and quickly assembled from a unitary blank; and the provision of a basket blank which can be produced in a single-step stamping operation. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle constructed in accordance with and embodying part of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank forming part of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a partially assembled receptacle showing the method of folding the blank to form a basket portion which is part of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a handle forming part of the present invention.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponing parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 2 designates a receptacle including a basket portion 4 and a handle 6 which are interconnected in a manner presently to be described herein.

Referring now to FIG. 2, basket portion 4 is assembled from a unitary or one-piece basket blank 8 preferably die-cut or otherwise suitably formed from a corrugated paperboard stock. Blank 8 is centrally provided with a bottom wall panel 10 defined on its sides by parallel scorelines 12, 14, and at its ends by arcuate slits 16, 18, which intersect scorelines 12, 14. Bottom wall panel 10 is cut away along scoreline 12 in the provision of rectangular cut-outs 20 having a width somewhat greater than the thickness of the paperboard stock. Similarly, along scoreline 14, bottom panel 10 is inwardly provided with rectangular cut-outs 22 located opposite cut-outs 2t Foldably connected to bottom panel 10 along scoreline 12 is a rectangular side wall panel 24, the end margins of which are defined by scorelines 26, 28, which project perpendicularly from scoreline 12 at the points where such scoreline intersects arcuate slits 16, 18, respectively. Preferably halfway between scorelines 26, 28, side panel 24 is cut away along scoreline 12 in the provision of a rectangular cut-out 30 for purposes presently more fully appearing. The remaining longitudinal margin of side panel 24 is defined by a scoreline 32 which separates side panel 24 from a narrow upper rim panel 34 to which a rectangular side flap 36 is foldably secured along a scoreline 38 located in parallel relation to scoreine 32; The ends of side flap 36, as well as upper rim panel 34, are defined by end margins 40, 42, which are colineal with scorelines 26, 28, respectively, while the outer longitudinal margin of side fiap 36 is defined by a side margin 44 having rectangular tabs 46 projecting outwardly there from. Tabs 46 are located inwardly from end margins 40, 42, at a distance equal to the inward disposition of cutouts 20 from scorelines 26, 28, and are, moreover, sized for snug-fitting retentive engagement with cut-outs 20 as will presently be described in greater detail. Upper rim panel 34 is bisected by a rectangular cut-out 48 which extends into side flap 36 forming a rectangular notch 50 therein. Finally, it should be noted that the transverse dimension of rectangular side flap 36 is equal to the transverse dimension of rectangular side wall panel 24 while the transverse dimension of upper rim panel 34 is slightly greater than twice the thickness of the paperboard stock.

Similarly connected to bottom wall panel along scoreline 14 is a side wall panel 52 defined at its ends by scorelines 54, 56, and provided with a rectangular cut-out 58. Foldably connected to side wall panel 52 along a scoreline 60 is a narrow upper rim panel 62 which is bisected by a cut-out 64 and foldably connected thereto along a scoreline 66 is a side flap 68 into which cut-out 64 extends in the provision of a notch 70. The outer margins of side flap 68 are defined by end margins 72, 74, and a side margin 76 from which tabs 78 project outwardly.

Foldably connected to side wall panels 24, 52, along end scorelines 26, 54, are trapezoidally-shaped connecting members 80, 82, respectively, which are diagonally bisected by crease scorelines 84 in the formation of matching triangular intermediate panels 86, 88. To reduce the paperboards natural resistance to folding along the scoreline 84, the connecting members 80, 82, are provided with slit scorelines 89 which are coincident with the scorelines 84. It should be noted that the slit lines 89 do not extend completely through the paperboard stock, but instead pass through only one liner and the corrugated medium intermediate the liners. As will be seen by reference to FIG. 2, trapezoidally-shaped connecting members 80, 82, are outwardly defined by intersecting end margins 90, 92, which are, in effect, the outer margins of triangular intermediate panels 86, 88, respectively. The remaining margins of trapezoidally-shaped connecting members 80, 82, are defined by outwardly diverging corner scorelines 94, 96, respectively, which intersect scorelines 26, 54, respectively, at an angle slightly less than 90.

Interposed between connecting members 80, 82, is an end wall panel 98 having an arcuate bottom margin 100 which is formed by arcuate slit 16. Located opposite from bottom margin 100 is an upper margin 102 which is substantially linear between points 104, 106, which are, in turn, located along the lines defined by lineal extensions of scorelines 12, 14, respectively. From points 104, 106, outwardly outer margin 102 is colineal with margins 92 of intermediate panels 88 of trapezoidally-shaped connecting members 80, 82, respectively. Intermediate divergent scorelines 94, 96, end wall panel 98 is provided with a plurality of outwardly diverging arcuately spaced scorelines 108.

Similarly connected to the opposite ends of side wall panels 24, 52, along scorelines 28, 56, are trapezoidallyshaped connecting members 110, 112, which are diagonally bisected by crease scorelines 114 in the formation of matching triangular intermediate panels 116, 118, having angularly presented intersecting outer end margins 120, 122, respectively. Scorelines 114 are cut for a portion of their length in the provision of coincident slit lines 124 which are similar to slit lines 89. Interposed between trapezodally-shaped connecting members 110, 112, and foldably connected to triangular panels 116 thereof along outwardly diverging scorelines 126, 128, is an end wall panel 130 having an arcuate bottom margin 132 and a substantially linear upper margin 134. The end wall panel is further provided with a plurality of diverging arcuately spaced scorelines 136.

As has already been noted, it is preferable to cut the blank from corrugated paperboard stock, but it should be pointed out that any foldable sheet material will suffice and this invention is not limited merely to receptacles formed from corrugated paperboard. Moreover, the blank, including its cut-outs, scorelines and slits can be die-cut in a one-step stamping operation. In this connection, it should be pointed out that the paperboard stock should be oriented on the die prior to stamping so that the corrugations Will extend transversely across bottom wall panel 10, side wall panels 24, 52, and side flaps 36,

68, of completed blank 8. Such an orientation lends maximum rigidity to completely assembled receptacle 2.

To transform blank 8 into basket portion 4, side wall panel 24 is bent inwardly along scoreline 12 while trapezoidally-shaped connecting members 80, 110, are bent along scorelines 26, 84, 94, and 28, 114, 126, so that triangular intermediate panels 86, 88, and 116, 118, are tucked inwardly into facewise abutment, all as best seen in FIG. 3. When side wall panel 24 is presented at substantially a right angle with respect to bottom panel 10, triangular intermediate panels 86 and 116 of trapezoidally-shaped connecting members 86, 110, respectively, will come into facewise abutment with the inwardly presented face of side wall panel 24. Coincident slit lines 89, 124, of course, permit complete folding of connecting members 80, 110, along their respective diagonal scorelines 84, 114. At this stage of assembly, outer end margins 90, 92, and 120, 122, of intermediate connecting members 80, 110, will be adjacent and parallel to scoreline 32 and similarly scorelines 26, 94, and 28, 126, will be adjacent one another and presented at substantially right angles to scoreline 32. Thereafter, upper rim panel 34 is folded over along scoreline 32 into overlying relation with the juxtaposed outer end margins 90, 92, and 120, 122, and, subsequently, side flap 36 is folded over along scoreline 38 and into embracing relation with folded connecting members 80, 110, whereupon end margins 40, 42, of side flap 36 will engage diverging scorelines 94, 126, respectively, allowing side flap 36 to bear against triangular intermediate panels 88, 118, of connecting members 80, 110, respectively, so as to prevent distending of such triangular intermediate panels or unfolding of connecting members 80, 110. Tabs 46 fit into retentive engagement with rectangular cut-outs 20 and hold side wall panel 24 and side flap 36 in embracing relation with folded connecting members 80, 110.

Similarly, side wall panel 52 is folded inwardly along scoreline 14 while trapezoidally-shaped connecting members 82, 112, are tucked inwardly along their respective diagonal scorelines 84, 114, thereby bringing triangular intermediate panels 86, 88, and 116, 118, into facewise abutment. Subsequently, side flap 68 is folded over and into embracive relation with inwardly tucked connecting members 2, 112, and tabs 78 are fitted into rectangular cut-outs 22, thereby completing basket portion 4 of receptacle 2. Of course, staples or any suitable adhesive may be used to hold side wall panels 24, S2, to their respective connecting members 80, 110, and 82, 112, as well as to secure side flaps 36, 68, thereto. Although adhesives or staples would securely hold basket portion 4 in an assembled position and insure that it does not unauthorizedly break apart, such a precaution is generally not necessary, except under the severest conditions, for the snug-fitting engagement of tabs 46, 48, with cut-outs 20, 22, sufliciently holds the components of basket portion 4 in place.

The inward tucks of folded connecting members 80, 82, 110, 112, embraced by side wall panels 24, 52, and side flaps 36, 68, prevents end wall panels 98, 130, from distending while the trapezoidal-shape of such connecting members 80, 82, 110, 112, and the divergent relation between scorelines 94, 96, and 126, 128, causes end wall panels 98, 130, of assembled basket portion 4 to flare upwardly and outwardly as best seen in FIG. 1 as gently contoured substantially continuous arcuate end walls 138, 140, having a plurality of slight bends or folds, each located at one of the scorelines 108, 136. Moreover, combined side wall panels 24, 52, and side flaps 36, 68, form extremely rigid side walls 142, 144, having a double thickness. Horizontally presented upper rim panels 34, 62, lend rigidity to side walls 142, 144, and prevent the same from distending when basket portion 4 is filled with relatively massive articles. Inasmuch as the corrugations extend transversely across bottom panel 10, such bottom panel is capable of carrying maximum loads. If, on the other hand, the corrugations were oriented to extend longitudinally in bottom panel 10, such panel would give way and fold along one of the corrugations under much lighter load conditions. The arcuate apertures formed between bottom margins 100, 134, of end walls 138, 140, and bottom wall panel are relatively narrow and retard passage of all but the smallest of commodities. These apertures can, of course, be sealed by use of a paper lining within basket portion 4. Obviously, basket portion 4 can be assembled from blank 8 with a minimum amount of effort and expenditure of very little time. Furthermore, it is so simple in construction that no difficult-to-follow set of instructions need be supplied to the ultimate purchaser for assembly.

Provided for cooperation with basket portion 4 is handle 6 including a U-shaped bow 146 fabricated from wood, a synthetic resin, or any other suitable material. Glued or otherwise securely fastened on the outwardly presented surface of bow 146 at its terminal ends are block-like rectangular bosses 148, 150, which are sized to fit within cut-outs 30, 58. After basket portion 4 has been completely assembled from blank 8 as heretofore described, the ends of handle 6 are fitted through cut-outs 50, 64, in upper rim panels 34, 62, and the handle pressed directly downwardly. The outer surfaces of bosses 148, 150, will slide along the inwardly presented surface of side flaps 52 until cut-outs 30, 58, are encountered, whereupon bosses 148, 150, will spring outwardly by virtue of the natural bias of bow 146 and engage cut-outs 30, 58, respectively, so as to lock handle 6 within basket portion 4 in the formation of the completed receptacle 2. Thus, handle 6 is presented in upwardly spaced relation to bottom panel 10 for convenient grasping by the ultimate user.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A basket-like receptacle adapted for rapid and convenient assembly from a blank formed from a suitable sheet material such as paperboard, said receptacle comprising a bottom wall panel, side wall panels foldably connected to the bottom wall panel in upstanding relation with respect thereto, end wall panels having bottom margins located in spaced relation from the bottom wall panel, the side and end wall panels having juxtaposed end margins, and connecting members interposed between and foldably connected to the end and side wall panels at the end margins thereof.

2. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 1 in which the end walls are curved outwardly intermediate.

their end margins.

3. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 2 in which each of the connecting members includes first and second intermediate panels which are foldably connected one to another, the first intermediate panels being additionally foldably connected to the side wall panels along the end margins thereof, the second intermediate panels being additionally foldably connected to the end walls along the end margins thereof.

4. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 3 in which the end margins of the bottom wall panels are curved outwardly and conform substantially in curvature to the curvature of the end wall panels.

5. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 3 in which the first intermediate panels are folded against the side wall panels and the second intermediate panels are folded against the first intermediate panels.

6. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 5 in which the first intermediate panels are presented in facewise abutment with the inwardly presented surfaces of the side wall panels.

7. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 5 and further characterized by side flaps hingedly mounted with respect to the side wall panels and folded over against the connecting members so that the folded connecting members are interposed between the side wall panels and side flaps, whereby the first and second intermediate wall panels are held in facewise abutment with respect to one another and the first intermediate wall panels are held in facewise abutment with the side wall panels, and retentive means for holding the side flaps and side wall panels against the connecting members so as to prevent distending of the end wall panels.

8. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 7 in which the retentive means includes cut-outs cut in the bottom wall panel and tabs projecting from the side flaps, the tabs being adapted to engage the apertures and hold the side wall panels and side flaps in embracing relation with respect to the connecting members.

9. A basket according to claim 7 and further characterized by upper rim panels interposed between and foldably conected to the side flaps and side wall panels.

10. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 5 in which the first and second intermediate panels are congruent.

11.. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 5 in which the connecting members, when folded to a planar configuration, are trapezoidally-shaped and are bisected by a diagonally extending scoreline so as to form first and second intermediate wall panels which are triangularly-shaped and congruent, the intersecting outer margins of the first and second intermediate panels forming the end margins of the side and end wall panels respectively being further presented at an angle of less than with respect to each other, whereby the end and side wall panels of the assembled receptacle will flare upwardly and outwardly.

12. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 5 in which the end wall panels are provided with a plurality of arcuately spaced scorelines along which the end wall panels are arcuately bent.

13. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 11 in which the end margins of the end wall panels diverge outwardly when the receptacle is opened into a blank, whereby the end and side wall panels of the completed receptacle will flare upwardly and outwardly with respect to the bottom wall panel.

14. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 7 in which the side flaps have end margins located in inwardly spaced substantially parallel relation to the end margins of the side wall panels, the end margins of the side flaps being located adjacent and parallel to the foldable juncture of the end wall panels and the second intermediate panels, whereby the second intermediate wall panels are held in facewise abutment with their respective first intermediate wall panels and are prevented from distending.

15. A basket-like receptacle according to claim 5 and further characterized by a handle extending above the side wall panel and over the bottom wall panel.

16. A basket-like receptacle assembled from a blank formed from sheet material; said receptacle comprising a bottom wall panel, side wall panels foldably connected to the bottom wall panel in upstanding relation with respect thereto and being provided with apertures, end wall panels, the side and end wall panels having juxtaposed end margins, first and second foldably connected intermediate panels foldably connected to the side and end wall panels, respectively, along the end margins thereof, the first intermediate panels being in facewise abutment with the side wall panels and the second intermediate panels being in facewise abutment with the first intermediate panels, side flaps hingedly mounted with respect to the side wall panels and being folded over against the second intermediate panels so as to prevent the intermediate panels from opening outwardly with respect to One another, retentive means for holding the side flaps against the second intermediate panels, and a U-shaped handle having outwardly projecting bosses which project into the apertures, whereby the handle is retentively connected to the side wall panels.

17. A basket according to claim 16 and further characterized by upper rim panels interposed between and foldably connected to the side wall panels and side flaps, the upper rim panels being provided with top apertures for reception of the legs of the U-shaped handle so that such legs are interposed between the side wall panels and side flaps.

18. A basket blank formed from a sheet-like material and comprising a bottom wall panel, side wall panels foldably connected to the bottom wall panel along first scorelines which are interconnected at their ends by slit lines whereby to define the side and end margins respectively of the bottom wall panel, end Wall panels located beyond the slit lines, and pairs of foldably connected intermediate panels interposed between the ends of the side and end panels, one of each pair of intermediate panels being foldably connected to the end margin of a side wall. panel along second scorelines, the other of each pair of intermediate panels being connected to the end margin of an end wall panel along third scorelines.

19. A blank according to claim 18 in which each slit line is curved outwardly.

20. A blank according to claim 19 in which the second and third scorelines intersect at the intersection of the first scorelines and the slit lines.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,567,594 12/1925 Hitzert 229-52 2,179,421 11/1939 Murray 22934 3,151,801 10/1964 Vesak 229-34 3,276,660 10/1966 Vesak 22934 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,366 ,306 January 30 1968 Joseph L. Kotowick It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 30, for "Groceries" read Grocers column 2, line 59, for "scoreine" read scoreline column 4, line 12, for "86, 110," read 80, 110, line 44, for "2, 112," read 82, 112, column 6, line 24, for "conected" read connected Signed and sealed this 18th day of March 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

